Currently, the utility industry has systems to access data from utility meters through a cellular carrier network facility, mobile switching center and a local area network (LAN). The system may further include a central data acquisition system that connects to utility meters via a modem or an Ethernet connection to the local area network (LAN).
Typically, the cellular carrier assigns an identification code, e.g., Internet Protocol (IP) address, a mobile identification number (MIN), and a mobile phone number, to a remote telemetry device coupled to the utility meter. Each utility meter is assigned an identification code for the central data acquisition system to identify and communicate with the utility meter. For example, the central data acquisition system can use a telephone number or a fixed virtual IP address to communicate with the meters, via a modem or LAN connection.
Typically, once the central data acquisition system is programmed with the identification for the utility meter, the identification code essentially remains unchanged or fixed in the central data acquisition system. Currently, the central data acquisition system could only communicate with the utility meters if the utility meter has the same fixed identification code of the central data acquisition system. However, the cellular carrier frequently changes the identification code of the utility meter because, for example, of security reasons or to optimize limited identification codes, such as IP addresses and identification numbers.
From the above, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to have a system, apparatus, and method that detects and tracks the identification codes assigned to a utility meter that are frequently changed by a cellular carrier. It would also be desirable to have a system, apparatus, and method that translates identification codes to and from the central data acquisition system that contains a fixed identification code for identifying and communicating with utility meters that have frequently changing identification codes.